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perspicacious

adjective
per·​spi·​ca·​cious | \ ˌpər-spə-ˈkā-shəs How to pronounce perspicacious (audio) \

Definition of perspicacious

: of acute mental vision or discernment : keen
Other Words from perspicacious Choose the Right Synonym Did You Know? Example Sentences Learn More about perspicacious

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Other Words from perspicacious

perspicaciously adverb
perspicaciousness noun
perspicacity \ ˌpər-​spə-​ˈka-​sə-​tē How to pronounce perspicacity (audio) \ noun

Choose the Right Synonym for perspicacious

shrewd, sagacious, perspicacious, astute mean acute in perception and sound in judgment. shrewd stresses practical, hardheaded cleverness and judgment. a shrewd judge of character sagacious suggests wisdom, penetration, and farsightedness. sagacious investors got in on the ground floor perspicacious implies unusual power to see through and understand what is puzzling or hidden. a perspicacious counselor saw through the child's facade astute suggests shrewdness, perspicacity, and diplomatic skill. an astute player of party politics

Did You Know?

Perspicacious is similar in meaning to shrewd and astute, but a sharp mind will discern subtle differences among them. All three mean acute in perception and sound in judgment, but shrewd stresses practical, hardheaded cleverness, whereas perspicacious implies unusual power to see through and comprehend what is puzzling or hidden. (You can see this shade of meaning in the root of perspicacious - the Latin word perspicere, meaning "to look through" or "to see clearly.") Astute suggests both shrewdness and perspicacity, as well as diplomatic skill.

Examples of perspicacious in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

 Of course, any perspicacious viewer of Rocky and Bullwinkle knew that the squirrel was the brains of the outfit. — Steve Mirsky, Scientific American, "Squirrels Can Store the Same Kinds of Nuts in Specific Groupings," 1 Dec. 2017 The most perspicacious of the English understood that as soon as Americans started to get beyond the Appalachian mountains, we would be cut off from the motherland. — Michael Brendan Dougherty, National Review, "You’re Free on Independence Day," 4 July 2019 Of course, any perspicacious viewer of Rocky and Bullwinkle knew that the squirrel was the brains of the outfit. — Steve Mirsky, Scientific American, "Squirrels Can Store the Same Kinds of Nuts in Specific Groupings," 1 Dec. 2017 What secured the nomination were two things: the movie’s extraordinary quality and the perspicacious marketing department at Netflix’s documentary division. — Glenn Kenny, New York Times, "Netflix Casts a Wider Net for Original Documentaries," 9 Mar. 2017 And then there’s the issue of scale: There are as many as 400 billion birds flitting around the planet; pondering their individual, perspicacious consciousnesses can be jaw-dropping, almost sublime. — Jon Mooallem, New York Times, "ARE WE SMART ENOUGH TO KNOW HOW SMART ANIMALS ARE?," 26 Apr. 2016

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'perspicacious.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of perspicacious

1640, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for perspicacious

Latin perspicac-, perspicax, from perspicere

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More Definitions for perspicacious

perspicacious

adjective
How to pronounce perspicacious (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of perspicacious

formal : having or showing an ability to notice and understand things that are difficult or not obvious

See the full definition for perspicacious in the English Language Learners Dictionary

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More from Merriam-Webster on perspicacious

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with perspicacious

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for perspicacious

Spanish Central: Translation of perspicacious

Nglish: Translation of perspicacious for Spanish Speakers

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